QNAP NAS vs. Synology DiskStation

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
QNAP NAS
Score 8.5 out of 10
N/A
QNAP offers a wide array of network-attached storage units for SMBs, home, and enterprise.N/A
DiskStation
Score 8.8 out of 10
N/A
DiskStation is a line of network-attached storage (NAS) solutions from Synology headquartered in Taiwan.N/A
Pricing
QNAP NASSynology DiskStation
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
QNAP NASDiskStation
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
QNAP NASSynology DiskStation
Considered Both Products
QNAP NAS
Chose QNAP NAS
QNAP NAS offers several advantages over TrueNAS and Synology. Compared to TrueNAS, QNAP provides a more user-friendly experience, with a simple setup process and intuitive interface, making it ideal for those who don’t want to deal with complex configurations. QNAP also has a …
Chose QNAP NAS
Our historical supplier was a QNAP partner so we started with them.
We resell on request also NETGEAR and Synology. Maybe is for the practice on them but we think that they are easier to use and configure.
The thing i can affirm with convinction is that are realy durable! I think …
Chose QNAP NAS
QNAP is a professional in this business, we think it wouldn't be so good if they were doing it in other jobs. In the free do-it-yourself scenarios we used, he could not meet our needs somewhere. Another NAS product from another manufacturer that we tried for a fee did not have …
DiskStation
Chose Synology DiskStation
When we decided to look for a nearby storage solution, we briefly considered QNAP NAS. From a technical data sheet point of view, it has complete feature parity to DiskStation. Ultimately, we decided to go with DiskStation because of word of mouth from one of our team members;…
Chose Synology DiskStation
Synology NAS replaced any cloud storage for way cheaper, more controlled and expansible. Qnap is the second best and was also an option but back then it had less functionalities. It does the backup just as Synology DiskStation but the support was better on the Synology …
Chose Synology DiskStation
Easier to use- better interface
Chose Synology DiskStation
I use Synology DiskStation privately as well, so I continued using them when I met them at my new workplace as well. They have a nice GUI comparable to QNAP. Using NETGEAR ReadyNAS in the past, Synology DiskStation are better in any perspektive except for the price tag. QNAP …
Chose Synology DiskStation
Easy setup. Good price for TB. Easily accessible hdd drives.
Thanks to e-mail notification. In the event of a disk failure, I will immediately get a notification to replace the HDD.
Chose Synology DiskStation
These are very similar products. QNAP is known for better high end performance. I really like the Synology interface. It makes it very easy to use. There are so many applications that are available that expand the functionality significantly.
Chose Synology DiskStation
Synology DiskStation is by far the best all-around NAS solution on the market. QNAP provides more hardware variability and some better prices, but QNAP's OS, QT, is simply not as good as Synology's DSM OS. FreeNAS is an extremely powerful and robust open-source NAS solution …
Chose Synology DiskStation
Synology stacks up very well against the QNAP and the Nexsan. We used to find the Nexsan was very power-hungry in the data centre as well as being very loud to run. We still run a QNAP in our environment which works in a very similar way and with a similar interface as Synology …
Best Alternatives
QNAP NASSynology DiskStation
Small Businesses
DiskStation
DiskStation
Score 8.8 out of 10

No answers on this topic

Medium-sized Companies
Dell Unity XT Unified Storage
Dell Unity XT Unified Storage
Score 10.0 out of 10
Dell Unity XT Unified Storage
Dell Unity XT Unified Storage
Score 10.0 out of 10
Enterprises
Dell Unity XT Unified Storage
Dell Unity XT Unified Storage
Score 10.0 out of 10
Dell Unity XT Unified Storage
Dell Unity XT Unified Storage
Score 10.0 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
QNAP NASSynology DiskStation
Likelihood to Recommend
10.0
(5 ratings)
9.0
(26 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(2 ratings)
Usability
10.0
(1 ratings)
8.3
(5 ratings)
Support Rating
10.0
(2 ratings)
9.7
(7 ratings)
User Testimonials
QNAP NASSynology DiskStation
Likelihood to Recommend
QNAP Systems
I've been using QNAP NAS for a while now, and it's been great for my home setup. The interface is pretty user-friendly, even for someone who's not super techy, but there are plenty of advanced features to dig into if you need them. Setup was straightforward, and I love how easy it is to access my files remotely. The apps work well, and I've had no major issues with performance. It's been reliable, and I feel like my data is secure. Overall, it's just a solid piece of gear that does exactly what I need. Highly recommend! 10/10 from me!
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Synology
The Synology DiskStation is well suited as a NAS solution, easy enough to mirror a Windows file server shares setup. Access to the Hyperbackup utility eliminates the need to purchase a tape backup solution. A portable USB drive can be used as the initial backup target. For air gap purposes can connect Hyperbackup to the various cloud providers such as AWS, Azure, GCP to copy backup data there. Utilizing it as a backup solution has also been great, instead of purchasing a tape solution, tapes and an offsite tape repository. Active Backup for Business is another excellent backup utility for physical servers, VMWare virtual machines, etc. Restoring files is fairly intuitive. Until Synology introduced the dual controller setup, using it as a SAN was less appropriate as there was occasional downtime when the controller had an issue but this was less important for the scenarios we were using it for. It would be more of a concern if we had used it for things that require more robust uptime requirements. Overall we are happy with the features of the Synology DiskStation.
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Pros
QNAP Systems
  • File share
  • Raid
  • Very friendly interface.
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Synology
  • Synology DiskStation offers lots of options for creating links to share files or request that some uploads files. It makes it really easy to just share a link that can have an expiration or a set number of times it is accessed.
  • We always had enough storage on our Synology DiskStation, we never had to worry about something being too big to upload or share.
  • Love how you can create folders that are shared and also have some that are private. This makes it so easy to have shared collaborations with coworkers or clients, but also allows you to have a private place to save things that only you need.
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Cons
QNAP Systems
  • It is not related to the QNAP NAS, but the most common problem we have experienced is with the disks themselves.
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Synology
  • While BTRFS is a more advanced file system than ext4, it also is in a perpetual state of development, with many features not fully functional and a plethora of bugs. Synology has managed to overcome many of these limitations by placing BTRFS on top of a LVM, but there are much better file systems that Synology could have used, such as OpenZFS.
  • DSM's built-in backup software, HyperBackup, while robust, oftentimes runs into issues. Specifically, backups can be working fine for months or years, and then suddenly the backups will fail. Sometimes these failures can be resolved, but oftentimes the backups need to be completely restarted. Fortunately, even when the backup fails, the existing backups are still accessible, it is just that new backups can not be performed.
  • The underlying Linux OS provides significant benefits, but also adds a fair amount of complexity. Most of that complexity is wonderfully hidden by the DSM interface, but when certain problems arise, delving into the Linux command line is not out of the question.
  • Perhaps the biggest issue with Synology DiskStation is Synology's support. The issue isn't that the support is bad, but it can be frustratingly slow when dealing with a major issue. Synology does have a very active community that is always willing to help, but nothing beats first-party support.
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Likelihood to Renew
QNAP Systems
No answers on this topic
Synology
As long as Synology give us support for our hard drivers we will not change. I know Synology has now forced their hands to buy their own hard drivers and their new line of products. But if we still have support for old hard drivers from other manufacturers then we will still use Synology Nas. Otherwise we change manufacturers
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Usability
QNAP Systems
QNAP NAS's usability is excellent, making it accessible to both beginners and more experienced users. The setup process is straightforward, with clear instructions that guide you through everything. The user interface is intuitive, allowing you to navigate easily between settings, apps, and features. Even with its powerful functionality, such as remote access and advanced file management, it doesn’t feel overwhelming. The mobile apps make it convenient to access files on the go, and everything integrates smoothly. Whether you need basic storage or more advanced features, QNAP balances ease of use with powerful capabilities, making it a highly user-friendly NAS option.
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Synology
The Synology DiskStation is easy to set up and manage. The interface is clean and features are well documented. These units are reliable and can be set up to do scheduled integrity checks so failures can be mitigated before they halt business operations. The available packages for expanded roles makes these devices versatile.
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Support Rating
QNAP Systems
Customer support is effective once communication is established. A technical support person is required on both sides. The support is extremely knowledgeable and provides detailed support and explanation to any issues, as well as some will provide recommendations to the business needs as there are many different technologies or methods depending on what the business is trying to achieve.
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Synology
Unfortunately, the one time I've had to reach out to DiskStation support, it did not go well. My NAS appliance wasn't appearing on the network, and no matter what the support team tried, they could not get it back online. Instead of offering to send me a new unit, they told me to go buy a new one - obviously, this was a disappointing response and not very eco-friendly either! Fortunately, through some internet research of my own, and some ingenuity, I figured out I could restore my NAS to factory settings by removing all the drives and resetting. Only then did I realize I had a bad disk. I had to experiment for a while to figure out which one it was. Once I had done that, though, I was able to get the latest DiskStation loaded back on, no thanks to the DiskStation support crew. If notifications were rock solid, I suspect I would have caught the bad disk before it because an OS problem, but I never received a bad-disk notification.
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Alternatives Considered
QNAP Systems
Our historical supplier was a QNAP partner so we started with them.
We resell on request also NETGEAR and Synology. Maybe is for the practice on them but we think that they are easier to use and configure.
The thing i can affirm with convinction is that are realy durable! I think i never repaired a QNAP NAS and, we resell them from about 10 years.
They have all the functionality we ever had to our customers.
Read full review
Synology
Synology DiskStation packs a punch with the latest and greatest feature set which goes above and beyond many other vendors. It allows for a turn-key solution to cover almost every use case in the SMB market leaving other vendors behind.
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Return on Investment
QNAP Systems
  • I cannot quantify, but it really saves a lot of money for backup.
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Synology
  • Minimal investment in the hardware, big return on productivity
  • Streamlined IT needs, we no longer have to hire our IT vendor to assist us as regularly as we did when we were running servers
  • Productivity on the road through web access has increased productivity and billable hours for remote employees
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ScreenShots